Most people build with standard PC cases, but inverted PC cases are pretty darn cool too. And hey, why not be a bit different?

If you want to put your PC on the left side of your setup, or for some reason want to build your PC entirely upside down, I’ve compiled the 3 best inverted PC cases on the market today for every budget.

In addition, inverted PC cases have their side panel window on the right side instead of the left.

If you only have enough desk space to put your PC on the left side of your monitor, having a side panel window on the left side of your case isn’t going to do you much good. You won’t be able to see your components, effectively wasting the whole point of having a window in the first place.

That’s where an inverted PC case comes in. Inverted PC cases have a right side panel window so you can see your components even when your PC is on your left.

In addition, motherboards are typically installed backwards in an inverted PC case, meaning the GPU lives at the top of the case, above the CPU.

Best Inverted PC Cases

Top Pick

Be Quiet! Silent Base 801

Best Inverted PC Case

This is hands down the best inverted PC case on the market considering how rugged, well-designed and good looking it is. And best of all? The price tag doesn't reflect its premium build quality.

The Base 801 from Be Quiet! is unique in that you can build a standard PC with the motherboard right side up - or, you can easily modify it, turning it into an inverted PC case with an upside down motherboard and a right side panel window.

What’s awesome about this case is the terrific engineering - think about all of the work and planning that goes into designing a normal case, and now consider the extra planning it takes to ensure everything fits with an inverse configuration.

If you’re looking for the best inverted PC case on the market, I’d highly recommend the Silent Base 801. It’s the perfect combination of looks, functionality, and price.

Sleek lines and a crap load of glass make for an incredibly good looking case. But this one has its internal components visible from the right side of the case instead of the left.

The SilverSTone LD01 has a lot of tempered glass, dark tinted with a stainless steel frame. The top of the case has a vent with a removable magnetic filter, and the bottom has another dust filter that protects the power supply fan.

If you like a lot of glass (a modern design in my opinion) then the LD01 is for you.

In recent years, Thermaltake has produced many cases that are largely popular, especially their Core series. The Thermaltake Core G3 is no exception, offering a stylish full sized form factor without being too big and bulky.

It’s also one of the cheaper cases on this list, so you could use it if you’re building a cheap gaming PC.

Why Buy an Inverted PC Case?

There are only three reasons (at least that I can think of) you want to build your PC with an inverted case. Either you have limited desk space, you think it'll improve cooling performance, or you're just one of those guys that always has to be different.

Desk Space Limitations

This is the most common reason why people build with inverted PC cases, and it’s also the most understandable.

For some reason a lot of PC case manufacturers have opted to put their side panel windows on the left side panel, assuming everyone wants to put their PC on the right side of their setup.

But if you have limited desk space and plan on putting your PC on the left side of your setup, having an inverted PC case with a right side panel window is important. At least, it is if you want to see your components.

You Want to Be Different

Maybe you can put your case on the right side of your build, but you want to be unique. Not everyone has an inverted case - in fact, most people don’t. Building your PC upside down in an inverted PC case is sure to attract the attention of anyone who steps in the room.

Alright, maybe not your girlfriend’s attention - but anyone who builds PCs will surely notice and appreciate the change of pace.

You Want Better Cooling Performance

The last reason why you might want an inverted PC case is because you think it’ll have better cooling performance than a traditional case.

Let me explain:

Heat rises, and if you have your GPU on top, the heat should rise easily to the top case fans without any obstructions, which is not the case with a traditional setup.

While that makes sense in theory, you probably won’t experience any noticeable performance difference in the real world.

With so many other factors at play, the configuration of your motherboard in a traditional or inverted fashion probably won’t have a noticeable impact on cooling.

Be Quiet! Silent Base 801

The side panels are incredibly easy to remove with possibly the best design I’ve ever seen - simply push a button on the back and it pops right off.

For starters, the entire front panel is exactly that, a solid front panel with only two slits on either side for airflow. Granted, they’re wide and run the entire height of the case, but probably aren’t as great for cooling performance as other cases with a more open design.

Overall the case has loads of hard drive storage, and a spacious interior fit for standard ATX motherboards and below. It’s a bit odd that it can’t fit larger motherboards given the size of the case (it’s pretty big and heavy).

But oh well, most of you are probably going to use ATX or Micro ATX anyway, both of which this inverted PC case can support.

The case has a few SSD drives behind the motherboard tray which are fully removable if you don’t want them there, which is pretty sweet. Again, the modularity of this case is spectacular.

In terms of storage space, there is a three drive hard drive bay in the power supply shroud which can be moved to three different locations, in case you need some extra space down there for a power supply or a front radiator.

Each drive bay is adjustable and can house either 3.5” HDD drives or 2.5” SSDs.

There are also two additional 2.5” mounting options behind the motherboard tray for traditional SSDs.

SilverStone did come through with the dust filters though, because they fully cover the fans without leaving any room for dust to get sucked in. Cable management in this case is a breeze - three grommets next to the motherboard tray make it easy to run your cables, and there’s sufficient space between the motherboard tray and the back left panel to hide your cables.

Cable management doesn’t actually impact your airflow, but it definitely affects the look of your build. And if you’re buying an inverted case just to see your components, they ought to look good.

They’ve managed to cram a full ATX motherboard inside of a case that’s not particularly large. The G3’s width is easily its smallest dimension (140mm), which is why it made it on our list of small and slim ATX cases.

For those of you who want a slim inverted PC case with a right side panel window and you don’t have a huge budget, this is the case for you.

One of the main drawbacks of the G3 is it can only fit a low profile CPU cooler of no more than 110mm, which is quite small.

But once you get past that, it’s surprisingly fully featured. You can put a liquid cooler on the front or the roof without much trouble, and it has pretty good airflow.

Since it’s an inverted case (like the rest on this list) the motherboard is upside down and the acrylic side panel window is on the right side. You can stand the PC upright on the left side of your desk and see the internals, or lay it down like a horizontal PC case and use it underneath your TV or monitor.

One of the keys to this case’s ability to get away with such a slim profile is the fact that it can only support an SFX power supply, not a full ATX power supply.

The case also makes use of a vertical GPU mount which is pretty cool, and comes with a riser cable so you don’t have to worry about that.

What’s the bottom line here?

The Thermaltake Core G3 is a slim ATX case with a right side panel window and an inverted configuration. It can’t support big graphics cards or tall CPU coolers, but if you’re looking for a basic inverted PC case on a budget, this is our top pick.

Is an Inverted PC Case Worth It?

There is no right or wrong answer to this question - it all depends on your specific situation.

Choosing a PC case is hard enough, and throwing inverted configurations into the mix isn’t making things easier. If you want to learn more about how to choose a PC case, click that link to check out our complete guide.

Anyway, for the most part there isn’t a tangible difference between a standard and inverted PC case that I can see. Theoretically it might have better cooling performance, but in the real world that’s not the case.

All in all the only real difference is the aesthetic look of the case. I’d say an inverted PC case is worth it if you want to place your case on the left side of your desk, or you want to make your build stand out in an upside down configuration.

This is, of course, assuming you have the budget to spend on an inverted PC case. If you’re trying to build a budget gaming PC you should allocate most of your money to the CPU and GPU, not the case.